Bizarre Theft Reported In Hamburg, New York

There was a bizarre theft that has been reported on social media that allegedly took place in Hamburg, New York recently. While many people seem to be reporting individuals stealing cars, or what is inside of them, this crime involves what is on the outside. In a recent report on Nextdoor, a person reports that his front license plate was stolen.

There has been more and more cars stolen across New York State and right here in the Buffalo, New York area. Thieves are becoming bold as cars are being stolen from driveways in broad daylight in some cases. Those who are caught, seem to be back out stealing again in a short amount of time which is even more frustrating for residents.

Read More: Massive Bugs Swarming Backyards In Buffalo, New York

But the theft of a license plate can take a whole new legal turn if things are not handled, or reported quickly. This sort of crime, license plate theft, can be an issue if your plate is attached to another car that could be involved in an accident or goes through EZ Pass with your plate on it.

What Is The License Plate Law In New York State?

In New York State, the Vehicle and Traffic law calls for registration and TWO plates: "certificate of registration conspicuously displayed, one on the front and one on the rear of such vehicle, each securely fastened so as to prevent the same from swinging and placed, whenever reasonably possible, not higher than forty-eight inches and not lower than twelve inches from the ground".

There other states that only require at least one plate.

But each plate is unique to the car it is assigned to. According to the post about the plate theft on Nextdoor, you might have to deal with your insurance company if the thieves do wreck the car.

The advice is to report the theft immediately to the police and DMV. There are forms and procedures that you will need to follow.

The DMV notes that: "If the plates were lost, stolen, or destroyed in New York State, ask a New York State police agency to complete a 'Report of Lost, Stolen or Confiscated Motor Vehicle Items' (MV-78B). The form is only available from law enforcement. It is not available on the DMV website.